UPA planning to expel Taslima, claims BJP

New Delhi: The BJP again raked up the Taslima issue on Friday with senior party leader LK Advani claiming that the government was planning to 'expel' her from the country on the expiry of her visa and demanded that she be allowed to lead a normal life in West Bengal.

"I have heard from reliable sources that the UPA Government has been putting pressure on Taslima to leave India and go away to any other part of the world of her choice," Advani said.

He alleged that pressure was being mounted on her so that the Bangladeshi writer leaves on her own while she has been pleading for permanent resident status in India and extension of her visa.

"On February 15, when her visa ends, she would be forced to go out of the country and it could be expulsion," he said at a book launch function.

"The UPA Government's attitude is that we don't want you here. Go wherever you want... What kind of secularism is this," he asked. launching a scathing attack on the Manmohan Singh Government over the issue.

"I demand that Taslima should be allowed to lead a normal life in West Bengal with freedom of movement. It is the responsibility of the Central and state governments to ensure her personal security," he said.

The Congress, however, strongly denied that Taslima was under house arrest and called Advani's statement to the contrary a 'joke'.

Reacting to Advani's remarks, AICC spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said Taslima had been accommodated in an undisclosed place in Delhi due to security considerations and this did not mean she was under house arrest.

Before making the allegation, Advani should have considered the fact that the BJP Government in Rajasthan could not accommodate the Bangladeshi author even for 24 hours, the Congress spokesman said.

At the same time, anyone given asylum in India should take care not to hurt the sentiments of the people and avoid violating the code of conduct meant for such persons, Ahmed said.

Also, the Centre cannot force any state government in the matter of maintaining law and order, he explained.